Pick mechanism for twister and spinning frames



June 13, 1967 1,. W. PRAY ET AL PICK MECHANISM FOR TWISTER AND SPINNING FRAMES Filed Oct. 7, 1964 United States Patent 3,325,109 PICK MECHANISM FOR TWISTER AND SPINNING FRAMES Lester W. Pray and Gordon C. Anderson, Clemson, S.C.,

assignors to Maremont Corporation, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Filed Oct. 7, 1964, Ser. No. 402,289 Claims. (Cl. 242-261) The present invention relates to improvements in the wind mechanism for twister and spinning frames and the like, and more particularly to an improvement in the pick mechanism unit for effecting a stepped advance of the reciprocating builder wind pattern along the length of a package.

In frames for winding strand into packages of the general type referred to, it is a frequent practice upon completionof the winding operation to move the traversing elements by means of which the strand is guided onto the package to an extended position in which a few turns of the strand are added to the neck of the bobbin as a tip bunch building operation. It then becomes necessary to wind down the wind mechanism to a predetermined low position in preparation for dofling and for the winding of a new package. During the wind-down operation referred to the pick mechanism referred to is automatically reset.

A wind mechanism for twister and spinning frames having a pick mechanism of the type generally referred to is illustrated in the prior United States Patent No. 3,072,350, for Builder Mechanism, issued to Anderson et al., Jan. 8, 1963.

It is a principal object of the invention to provide an improved pick mechanism including a pick actuated differential device for gradually shifting the operating zone of the builder actuated traversing elements during a strand winding operation, in which there is provided a clutch release operable to effectively disconnect thetraversing elements from the builder mechanism, and thereby to permit a substantial further rapid movement of the traversing elements to a fully extended top wind tip bunch building position.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved pick mechanism having a clutch release of this general description which is adapted tobe readily reas sembled during a subsequent wind down operation in position for the starting of a new winding operation.

With the above and other objects in view as may hereinafter appear, the several features of the invention will be readily understood by one skilled in the art from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view partly in section of a pick mechanism embodying in a preferred form the several features of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on a line 22of FIG. 1 illustrating particularly the clutch release to permit movement of the traversing elements of the wind mechanism to the topping off position;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view on a line 3-3 of FIG. 1 illustrating the overrunning clutch provided for permitting the return of the differential pickmechanism to its initial starting position; and

FIG. 4 is a somewhat diagrammatic view of the wind mechanism of the machine, including bobbins and a ring rail, the builder cam, the builder arm, and intervening connections.

Referring to the drawings, particularly FIG. 4, a wind mechanism suitable for use in a twister or spinning frame is shown somewhat diagrammatically including a ring rail 20 and bobbins 22 which are shown90 out of position h input and output differential gears 58 3,325,109 Patented June 13, 1967 for clarity of illustration, a Windlass shaft 24 which is connected with the ring rail 20 by suspender straps 26, and is connected with a builder arm 28 and builder cam 30 by means of a chain 32, a pick mechanism generally indicated at 34, and a chain 36. The Windlass shaft 24 is biased in one direction to urge the ring rail 20 upwardly and to support the builder arm 28 against the builder cam 30 by means of a torsion bar 40 and arm 42 which is connected by a chain 44 with the Windlass shaft 24. In the illustration shown, it is contemplated that the Windlass shaft 24 and associated traversing elements may be wound down to a doff and starting position through manually opera-ted connections which include a gear 46 on the Windlass shaft 24 and a meshing pinion 48 carried on a manually rotatable shaft 50.

The differential pick mechanism 34 herein disclosed as embodying features of the invention comprises an input differential gear 58 mounted on a sleeve member 60 which is in turn freely rotatable on an inner sleeve 62 carried on a core shaft 64 of the pick assembly.

An output differential gear 66 carried on a sleeve member 68 rotatable on the core shaft '64 is mounted in parallel relation to the input differential gear 58. Both said .gears are provided with internal gear teeth, the output gear 66 having a slightly smaller number of teeth than the input gear 58. A divided plane-t gear 70 is arranged to mesh continuously with both said internal gears, being mounted to turn on a pivot 72 carried by an offset frame 74 attached to the inner sleeve 62 above referred to.

The position of the divided planet gear 70 with relation to the input differential gear 58 is controlled to impart an oscillatory movement to the output differential gear 66 and, in addition thereto, a stepped advancing movement of the output differential gear 66 with relation to the input differential gear 58 for each oscillation of the input gear 58 through connections which include a ratchet Wheel 76 secured to the inner sleeve 62 to turn as a unit with the planet gear supporting frame 74. A pair of pawls 78, 80 mounted on a stationary pivot 82 are arranged when engaged with the ratchet wheel 76, to lock the ratchet wheel 76 and planet gear supporting frame against rotational movement with the input differential gear 58 so that the planet gear 70 is caused to rotate on its pivot to advance the output differential gear 66 with relation to the input differential gear 58. y l

The operation of the pawls 78 and 80 is controlled by means of a shield 84 securedby means ofa split clamp 86 to the supporting sleeve member 60 for the input differential gear 58. The shield 84 is of substantial size causing the pawls 78, 80 to be held in a raised inoperative position at all times during reciprocatory movement of the input differential gear except for a small portion of said movement at one end of the stroke when the pawls are permitted to engage the ratchet wheel 76. With this arrangement the planet gear normally moves bodily as a unit with the two and 66, operating as locking device to oscillate said gears as a unit. When the ratchet wheel 76 and planet gear supporting frame 74 are held by said engagement of said pawls 78, 80, therewith, the planet gear is rotated by the continued movement of the input differential gear 58 thus producing a small increment of advancing movement of the output differential gear 66 with relation to the input differential gear 58.

In order that the pick mechanism may be automatically reset upon completion of the winding operation, the output differential gear 66 is connected by means of a one way clutch to an intermediate driven member which is in turn connected through a clutch mechanism hereinafter more fully to be set forth to a second driven member connected with the Windlass shaft assembly above described. The clutch referred to is of the cylinder and wedge type comprising a pair of clutch rolls 90 mounted in wedgeshaped recesses 92 in the outer face of the sleeve hub 68 of the output differential gear 66 for engagement with the inner face of an intermediate sleeve driven member 94 loosely mounted to turn thereon. The clutch rolls 90 are brought into wedging engagement with the inner and outer sleeves by the draw off bias exerted on the driven member 94 in the wind up or winding element raising direction by by the take-up action of torsion bar 40 are hereinafter more fully pointed out. The pick mechanism as thus far described is similar to and operates in a manner similar to that illustrated in the Anderson et a1. patent above referred to.

In the illustrated construction the intermediate driven sleeve member 94 is connected through a releasable clutch assembly to a driven sleeve member 95 which is connected through the chain 32 to the Windlass shaft 24 as indicated in FIG. 4. The clutch assembly referred to comprises a sleeve clutch member 96 keyed for sliding movement on the intermediate sleeve driven member 94 and having supported thereon clutch plates 97 adapted for engagement with cooperating plates internally supported on a sleeve extension of the driven member 95. A series of coiled compression springs 98 inserted between the one end of the clutch member 96 and a collar 99 attached to the intermediate sleeve driven member 94 tends normally to maintain the clutch engaged. In the form of the device shown, the clutch is adapted to be released manually or by power operated means, not shown, through connections which comprise a yoke 100 having follower rolls 102 adapted for engagement in a peripheral slot 104 in the sleeve clutch member 96. A laterally extending arm 108 pinned to the rock shaft 104 is connected by a link 109 to any suitable actuating device.

The arrangement of the pick mechanism, builder cam assembly, the Windlass shaft assembly, the compensating take-up mechanism and the several operating connections therebetween is such that the overbalancing bias imparted by the torsion bar 40 acts normally to keep the follower lever 28 in operative engagement with the builder cam 30, engages the overrunning clutch 90, 92 above described, and at the same time maintains a torque strain on the elements of the differential mechanism which is normally 7 effective to prevent rotating or walking of the planet gear with relation to the input and output differential gears during the reciprocatory movement of the input differential gear 58.

A further element of the means for automatically resetting the pick mechanism comprises a coiled rewind torsion spring 114 which is wrapped around and extends along the periphery of the input and output differential gears 58 and 66 being secured at one end to a bracket 116 on the input differential gear 58 and at its other end to a bracket 118 on the driven sleeve member 95. The torsion spring 114 tends to rotate the driven sleeve member 95 in the opposite direction from the bias exerted by the compensating torsion bar 40 to a start win-d position of the pick mechanism in which the bracket 118 is moved downwardly from the position of FIG. 1 into engagement with the bracket 116.

In the winding of a bank of packages on the machine the continued operation of the pick mechanism will cause the continuously oscillating output differential gear 66 and driven member 94 to be gradually moved ahead with relation to the continuously oscillating input differential gear 54 in the same direction as, and under the influence of the bias exerted by the compensating torsion bar 40. This movement of the driven differential gear 66, the driven member 94 and driven sleeve member 95 with relation to the input differential gear 58 winds the reset torsion spring which, as above noted is of less strength than the bias exerted by the compensating torsion bar 40. At the end of the winding operation the bracket 118 will have moved ahead to about the position indicated in dot-and-dash lines in FIG. 1.

My improved pick mechanism above described having a clutch release to facilitate a rapid movement of the Wind traversing elements including the ring rail 20 to the high top wind tip bunch building position operates in the following manner. It is assumed that the winding operation has proceeded to normal completion in which the packages or bobbins are fully wound, and in which the driven differential gear 66 is fully extended with relation to the driving differential gear 58. In this position there is normally no way in which the pick mechanism including the differential gears 58, 66 and planet gear 70 can be operated to rapidly further extend the connections between the builder cam 30 and the Windlass shaft 24. At this point the link 109 is actuated to shift clutch sleeve 96 and thereby to release the clutch plates 97, thus disconnecting the driven sleeve member and chain 32 from the differential gears of the pick mechanism. The traversing elements including the ring rail 20 will now be moved to the extreme top wind position under the influence of the torsion bar 40 and Windlass shaft 24 connected thereto, whereupon the arm 42 is engaged against an adjustable top wind stop bracket 43; The rewind torsion spring 114 is thus still further extended. The windlass shaft and traversing elements will now be wound down to their dofiing and starting positions as, for example, by the operation of manual control shaft 50 acting through pinion 48 and gear 46. During this wind down operation the torsion reset spring 114 causes the driven sleeve member 95 and chain 32 to be moved in the rewind direction to the initial starting position in which the ele ment 118 on the sleeve driven member 95 is engaged against the stop element 116 on the input differential gear 58. Clutch 96 is permitted to re-engage at any time after the completion of the tip bunch wind operation. In the event that both the clutch release and the overrunning clutch above described are incorporated in the mechanism, the rewinding of the pick mechanism will take place independently of whether the clutch 96 is disen gaged. In the event that the overrunning clutch described were omitted from the construction, it would be necessary to retain the clutch 96 in its released position during the operation of rewinding the pick mechanism.

It will be understood that the pick mechanisms shown including the clutch release mechanism illustrated may be operated manually or automatically in connection with any automatic control system suitable for such machines.

1. For use in twister and spinning frames, a differential pick mechanism for advancing a builder winding pattern from a bobbin start wind position to a bobbin full wind position and further beyond to a tip bunch winding p0 sition, which comprises an oscillatory motion producing input driving element,

an oscillatable output driven element to which is imparted a stepped advance relative to said input driving element,

biasing means for biasing said output driven element in the direction of said advance,

a differential mechanism comprising a first differential gear connected with said oscillatory motion producing input driving element,

a second differential gear and a control device including a planetary gear meshing with said differential gears for transmitting said oscillatory movement from one to the other of said differential gears, and movable for imparting a stepped advance to said second differential gear relative to said first differential gear, releasable clutch connection between said second differential gear and said oscillatable output driven element for movement of said output element in the direction of advance independently of said differential mechanism to said extended tip bunch wind position further advanced beyond said bobbin full wind po- The invention having been described what is claimed sition, and for rewinding said pick mechanism rewind means including operating means rendering ineffective said biasing means and yieldable means operative when said biasing means is made ineffective by said operating means to rewind said output driven element relative to said input driving element, stop means limiting the free movement of said output driven element between a limiting rewind stop position and said tip bunch wind position relative to said oscillatory motion producing input driving element, and clutch control means operative to engage and disengage said clutch connection.

2. A differential pick mechanism according to claim 1, further including an overrunning clutch arranged serially with said clutch connection providing a positive connection in the direction of said bias and freedom of said oscillatable output element to rewind in the opposite direction.

3. In a twister frame having traversing elements mounted for vertical reciprocatory movement for winding strand on a package in a pattern of movement advancing from a bobbin start wind position to a bobbin full wind position and further beyond to a tip bunch wind position, builder mechanism including means to produce an oscillatory builder motion, a Windlass shaft and connections therefrom supporting said traversing elements for oscillatory movements with said shaft, a pick mechanism connected between said oscillatory motion producing means and said windlass shaft comprising an input driving element connected to be continuously oscillated by said builder mechanism, an output driven ele ment connected with said Windlass shaft, a differential device connected between said input driving element and said output driven element for transmitting said pattern of movement and for advancing said pattern of movement to wind said package including a rotary differential input element connected with said input driving element, a rotary differential output element, a control device connecting said differential output element to oscillate with said differential input element and for a stepped advancing movement with relation thereto, biasing means normally biasing said Windlass shaft in the direction of said stepped advancing movement, a rewind operative device connected with said Windlass shaft for making ineffective said biasing means, yieldable means operative when said biasing means is made ineffective by said rewind operating device to rewind said output driven element relative to said input driving element through a rewinding movement, and stops limiting the extent of said rewinding movement, and operating connections between said rotary differential output element and said driven output element comprising a one-way clutch providing a solid connection through said pick'mechanisrn in response to a bias of said Windlass shaft in said advance direction, and to permit the rewind of said output driven element, and a clutch serially connected with said one way clutch to release said output driven element with relation to said differential output element for movement relative to said pick mechanism in the direction of said advance for advancing movement beyond said bobbin full wind position to a tip bunch wind position.

4. For use in twister and spinning frames, a differential pick mechanism for advancing a builder winding pattern 6 from a bobbin start wind position to a bobbin full wind position and further beyond to a tip bunch wind position, which comprises an oscillatory motion producing input driving element,

an oscillated output driven element to which is imparted a stepped advance relative to said input driving element,

biasing means for biasing said output driven element in the direction of said advance,

a differential mechanism comprising a first differential gear connected with said oscillatory motion producing input driving element, a second differential gear and a control device including a planetary gear meshing with said differential gears for transmitting said oscillatory movement from one to the other of said differential gears, said planetary gear being movable for imparting a stepped advance to said second differential gear relative to said first differential gear,

a plurality of clutch connections between said second differential gear and said output driven element for movement of said output element in the direction of advance independently of said differential mechanism to said extended tip bunch wind position further advanced beyond said bobbin full wind position and for rewinding said pick mechanism including an intermediate rotatable driven element, an overrunning clutch connected between said second differential gear and said intermediate rotatable driven element providing a positive connection therebetween in the direction of said bias and freedom of said intermediate element to rewind in the opposite direction and a controllable clutch connected between said intermediate driven element and said output driven element operable to release said output driven element to move independently of said second differential gear and said intermediate rotary driven element,

rewind means including operating means rendering ineffective said biasing means, yieldable means operative when said biasing means is made ineffective by said operating means to rewind said output driven element relative to said input driving element, and stop means limiting the free movement of said output driven element between a limiting rewind stop position and said tip bunch wind position relative to said oscillatory motion producing input driving element, and

controllable clutch control means operative to engage and disengage said controllable clutch.

5. A differential pick mechanism as claimed in claim 4 wherein said yieldable means consists of a torsion spring connected between said first differential gear and said second differential gear for relatively rotating said gears in a direction opposed to that of said biasing means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,059,407 10/1962 Kennedy et a1. 57-54 3,072,350 1/1963 Anderson et a1. 24226 1 STANLEY N. GILREA'DH, Primary Examiner. 

1. FOR USE IN TWISTER AND SPINNING FRAMES, A DIFFERENTIAL PICK MECHANISM FOR ADVANCING A BUILDER WINDING PATTERN FROM A BOBBIN STRAT WIND POSITION TO A BOBBIN FULL WIND POSITION AND FURTHER BEYOND TO A TIP BUNCH WINDING POSITION, WHICH COMPRISES AN OSCILLATORY MOTION PRODUCING INPUT DRIVING ELEMENT, AN OSCILLATABLE OUTPUT DRIVEN ELEMENT TO WHICH IS IMPARTED A STEPPED ADVANCE RELATIVE TO SAID INPUT DRIVING ELEMENT, BIASING MEANS FOR BIASING SAID OUTPUT DRIVEN ELEMENT IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID ADVANCE, A DIFFERENTIAL MECHANISM COMPRISING A FIRST DIFFERENTIAL GEAR CONNECTED WITH SAID OSCILLATORY MOTION PRODUCING INPUT DRIVING ELEMENT, A SECOND DIFFERENTIAL GEAR AND A CONTROL DEVICE INCLUDING A PLANETARY GEAR MESHING WITH SAID DIFFERENTIAL GEARS FOR TRANSMITTING SAID OSCILLATORY MOVEMENT FROM ONE TO THE OTHER OF SAID DIFFERENTIAL GEARS, AND MOVABLE FOR IMPARTING A STEPPED ADVANCE TO SAID SECOND DIFFERENTIAL GEAR RELATIVE TO SAID FIRST DIFFERENTIAL GEAR, A RELEASABLE CLUTCH CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID SECOND DIFFERENTIAL GEAR AND SAID OSCILLATABLE OUTPUT DRIVEN ELEMENT FOR MOVEMENT OF SAID OUTPUT ELEMENT IN THE DIRECTION OF ADVANCE INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID DIFFERENTIAL MECHANISM TO SAID EXTENDED TIP BUNCH WIND POSITION FURTHER AVANCED BEYOND SAID BOBBIN FULL WIND POSITION, AND FOR REWINDING SAID PICK MECHANISM REWIND MEANS INCLUDING OPERATING MEANS RENDERING INEFFECTIVE SAID BIASING MEANS AND YIELDABLE MEANS OPERATIVE WHEN SAID BIASING MEANS IS MADE INEFFECTIVE BY SAID OPERATING MEANS TO REWIND SAID OUTPUT DRIVEN ELEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID INPUT DRIVING ELEMENT, STOP MEANS LIMITING THE FREE MOVEMENT OF SAID OUTPUT DRIVEN ELEMENT BETWEEN A LIMITING REWIND STOP POSITION AND SAID TIP BUNCH WIND POSITION RELATIVE TO SAID OSCILLATORY MOTION PRODUCING INPUT DRIVING ELEMENT, AND CLUTCH CONTROL MEANS OPERATIVE TO ENGAGE AND DISENGAGE SAID CLUTCH CONNECTION. 